The plan is to cycle 3500 miles solo from Seattle to Miami in 29 days to raise funds to care for veterans' mental health and also to help the fight against blood cancers. Wagons roll on September 11th: it would be terrific if you could sponsor me...thank you!
I could easily have muted the alarm and slept on regardless this a.m., but the 'carrot' of a day-off is an incentive alright. Plus I know that the worst that I'll have today is a bit of a crosswind, but mainly helping...so, let's get going!
Back in the pre-corporate day, she was just plain, old Wonder Woman...
It wouldn't be too long before I left Missouri and rolled into Arkansas, but did the terrain change much? Nah! MO gave me a good few body shots before tagging AR to come on in and continue, hah-hah! It was all expected, to be fair...although some of the drags were at 8%, which certainly was noticed.
Blimey, he didn't hang around forging a new career. It's ok Cliffy, the investigation is over!
Altogether, "Goodbye...": actually it looks like everyone has gone!
Alright, alright...don't harp on.
Workman had a laugh when I shouted that I couldn't go much slower without falling off!
Let's see: place with angry 6' white balloon charging around, or unpronounceable place. King Kong it is!
It was a good day, so I pushed-on in the hope of a slightly earlier finish which makes everything so much easier, in terms of getting admin done and preparing for the next day. Oh, and getting a beer of course, hah-hah!
More of those rolling stones again.
Green and pleasant.
Perfect shoulder. Savour it, my son!
Well, you got to...every now-and-then.
First one of these spotted so far: we are getting near to The South after all!
And that was certainly the way of things until about mile 100.5, when I felt that unwelcome but not unfamiliar feeling...oh yes, another wire from tyre debris had done for me. Again. Come on, only 15 miles from blah-blah-blah...just get on with changing it and stop moaning, ok? Ok.
Tasty descent on the other side. Excellent!
If the pastor comes in giving it all that, then I'm in!
No ambiguity round these parts.
A 454.
'No more'. Ravenden, of course.
Look at the state of the Carlos Fandangos on this, hah-hah!
Bad day? Now *that* is a movie. Actually it was going ok until puncture #7, I think?
No more malarkey on the run-in to Walnut ridge thankfully...
Tonight's hotel was easy to find.
Although I was gobsmacked to see this about 30 yards before my wonderful hotel!
Was stopped dead by this on Main Street, Walnut Ridge. More on that story later...
Although I had to schlep the bike and luggage up a floor, it was well worth it. This place is ridiculously nice, hah-hah!
Talk about lovely! Shame I'm only here for one night.
After admin was completed pronto, I headed out and Googled to see where the nearest bar was: 'No Results' was the answer. No matter, I'll head to the Mexican restaurant down the street and they'll do the necessary.
No they won't. No beer, no booze. Again, hah-hah! To be fair, the food was fine and I wandered out and up the street to where there was a coffee house called 'The Dark Side'. A bloke is just about to sit outside it at a table when he sees me reading a plaque about The Beatles' visit to Walnut Ridge some 52 (fifty-two) years previously, and he asks where I'm from. Like I always say, 'Muricans are a friendly, open and curious bunch!
The story of the Pre-Fab Four visiting Walnut Ridge in 1964. Wow!
I really did not see this happening today.
Love it!
Anyway, as well as being involved with the coffee shop, it turns out that Dan is a massive music fan and pretty much responsible for trying to put Walnut Ridge on the map Beatles-wise, and they stage a festival every September with tribute bands, exhibits and the like. They attracted between 10,000 to 15,000 people to the last one. Which was last weekend: timing is everything, hah-hah!
Great stuff!
All the very best to you, Walnut Ridge...good work!
The coffee shop, with attached ice cream/smoothie bar and cafe is a beacon is this dry town. In fact it's the kind of joint that you want in every town, at the risk of sounding a bit 'Starbucks', hah-hah!
It's been going for four years now and it's the kind of place that you hope will stick around for a long while yet. No offence Starbucks, but...
The Fifth Bea- no, I don't think so! Thanks for the photo Dan.
A pal of his, Brett, explained that this was a dry county: some are, some are not. And you'll find folks driving 30 miles to stock-up on booze and drive it back here! He said that there would be a pizza restaurant opening in the town soon and that they would get around the issue by being a so-called 'members club' and thus exempt from the regulation. I bet they'll do ok!
With Dan- he's responsible for much of this Fabness. Top Man!
Anyway, this display came right out of nowhere and knocked me for six: the only reason I was staying in Walnut Ridge was because it was halfway-ish between Cabool and Memphis. That's it. Glad I was here to see it and meet some very cool people...thanks for the coffee too. Cheers Dan and family!
All this fairly made my day...right out of nowhere. Wow!
Otis is my favourite, but this version is king...the guitar, tempo, horns...perfect!
The sponsorship is so very nearly there: about £400 to go with each cause. Please see if you can spare a couple of quid or whatever to help Bloodwise and Combat Stress. Here are those links if you are able to donate:
- Please click 'on this bit' to support Combat Stress.
I know that the two charities and the people that they help appreciate all your help. Good on you!
ps if you are kind enough to donate, and select 'anonymous', I can't 'see' who you are, unlike on JustGiving. So apologies if you were thinking that the miserable tw*t hasn't even e-mailed me to say thanks, hah-hah!
I almost leapt onto the bike this morning because I knew it was a short stage at 100 miles plus cents, with clear skies and at worst a cross-wind. Result! Alright, MO would certainly throw a few (loads) of rollers at me but that's what you expect.
Old school. No danger of old school prices.
A ton. Just!
How high's the water, Mama?
For what it's wo- oh, this rubbish just writes itself, hah-hah!
Because my plans had changed several times already, I had to forego my stay at the lovely Dickey House B&B in Marshfield but my route would take me past it anyway...as well as crossing this old favourite too. Hello again!
Five years on and you haven't changed a bit. Excellent!
The Dickey House B&B...another time perhaps.
I stopped for water and and a sandwich at a gas station and the world's most switched-on assistant told that Amish country was coming-up: I'd know their houses because they have windmill-type things to help draw water. I asked if it was bad form to take photos of the folk, and she said they'd rather you didn't and that Amish ladies would try to avert their faces. As it was, I didn't see any.
Fair enough, then...although I still haven't forgotten being blanked by one of them when I was trying to reassure myself that I was on the right track back on the 2011 jaunt. It was a miserable Sunday afternoon, drizzling, windy and not particularly pleasant and the lady in question kept her mobile phone glued to her ear and steadfastly refused to see me as she passed by in her Lexus. Nah, just pulling you leg. Horse and cart, as per.
Amish household: you can tell by the windmill/well. Also the satellite dish. Nah, messin'...they've got cable.
The fourth Dr. Who is accorded God-like status here. Rightly so.
A couple of reassuringly pleasant things today: I was taking a break eating the rest of sandwich and looking at my phone to see if AT&T were in the mood to share any reception today when I heard a car slow and the lady shout to ask if I was okay and did I need help. I thanked her and resisted saying no thanks, just a reliable network, hah-hah!
I joined Highway 60 eastbound shortly after that and was going ok on the clean hard shoulder when I saw a lady about 100 yards ahead beside her car, motioning me to stop. Any breakdowns I see, I will ask if they have a cell/mobile, as that's about all the assistance that I can offer, and was just about to do this when she offered me a banana!
Shoddy selfie with Mrs Barbara Curtis. How nice was she?
Turns out that Barbara Curtis is an avid cyclist herself and a veteran of quite a few long-distance treks herself. She told me that she was thinking of cycling Route 66 sometime soon! Anyway, this random act of kindness made my day. Good on you, Ma'am.
Nearer to SE25 than I thought, then.
Looks set fair: 10 miles of roadworks in the distance though. Just for fun...
Dear knows: some kind of junk shop?
And this was the best bit of surface for the run-in!
The day seemed indecently civilised, enjoyable and I almost felt guilty at having it easy! Fear not, normal service will be resumed tomorrow no doubt.
The last 10 miles were a 'mare, thanks to some genius in MO roadworks deciding to scrape away the rideable layer on the shoulder. I wonder if he is on loan from Nebraska? I now take back all the horrible fates that I wished upon the cretin for that horrible 45 minutes. At least until tomorrow!
Banana of the day. Cheers Barbara!
Further result upon checking-in at my motel in Cabool: the receptionist is from London, and her husband from Preston! She even offered to machine wash my kit gratis (I put a small donation on Bloodwise as a thank you), and was just a real beacon, even steering me in the direction of a pleasant Mexican restaurant. Good on you!
The sponsorship is so very nearly there: about £400 to go with each cause. Please see if you can spare a couple of quid or whatever to help Bloodwise and Combat Stress. Here are those links if you are able to donate:
- Please click 'on this bit' to support Combat Stress.
I know that the two charities and the people that they help appreciate all your help. Good on you!
ps if you are kind enough to donate, and select 'anonymous', I can't 'see' who you are, unlike on JustGiving. So apologies if you were thinking that the miserable tw*t hasn't even e-mailed me to say thanks, hah-hah!
Away under regulation blue skies and a crosswind as per blah-blah-blah: I'll cut to the chase- when we rode through Missouri in 2011, the abiding memory for me was the unrelenting and rolling nature of the terrain...it just never gave you a break!
I forgot to mention yesterday that I crossed the south-west to north-east route of that ride, but since a few of my 2011 alumni are following this blog, mostly from secure units in places like Norway, The US and the UK, they were able to remind me!
Well, I'd just had a er, pit-stop...
Not as much fun as it looks, hah-hah!
It was one of those days were if you'd climbed-off after 70 miles, you could easily have said, "Wow, I have been on a bike ride today!". Trouble is, if I had done that I would have been 60 miles from where my bed was, hah-hah! Tough going, although it did relent in the second-half, in fairness. Maybe I was just on an 'off day', which is allowed. I think!
The wild geese heading away...
Boris's (no, not *that* one) handiwork?
Getting to that time of year, right?
Yeah, I did watch the debate last night. Don't care for either...no B.S.!
The temperature got up to about 31c, so plenty of water was taken on...which means more stops...tricky to get going into a rhythm again, etc...
I decided to do the cycling equivalent of 'laying-up' in golf, and try to conserve a bit for the next three days which I hope will land me in Memphis for a rest day. Come on!
It's a lovely thought, Missouri!
At least we know where the road to it is now.
Oh yeah- says who?
Another lovely thought, Missouri!
That's POLK salad!
When I did roll-up to my motel, I was in for a surprise- the only food options were either deliveries, or get yourself downtown. I tried the latter but *the* taxi was otherwise engaged (!), so elected for a Domino's pizza'n'pasta effort. Quite serviceable, but definitely lacking in the hops and barley department, hah-hah!
It was a long day out there. Should've pedalled harder then, shouldn't you?
After 130 miles, that's exactly what I thought too! Could murder a beer...
No beer, no cry. But it better not happen again, hah-hah!
So tomorrow is a shorter day but with more climbing, so no gimme then. They never are, hah-hah!
The sponsorship is so very nearly there: about £400 to go with each cause. Please see if you can spare a couple of quid or whatever to help Bloodwise and Combat Stress. Here are those links if you are able to donate:
